Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Thea Gilmore: Old Soul

There's no older tradition in popular music than a girl looking for a boy and vice versa. British singer-songerwriter Thea Gilmore turns that tradition movingly on its head as she pleads for, not a boy, but an old soul. "Old Soul" is one of those songs where the rewards of the quest are made as apparent by an anthemic melody and determined performance as much as by the lyrics.

Gilmore is not looking for anyone already disillusioned by life ("I don't want the worldly wise) and would just as soon stay age appropriate ("I'll need a young heart"). Moreover, she's wary of the older man with a Peter Pan syndrome ("I don't want a good disguise"). What she does want is that "white light" and the "right song."

While Gilmore seems skeptical that she'll actually find her old soulmate ("Where am I gonna go?...Does anybody know"), she's resolved not to settle ("Don't want the shooting stars/Don't want the passing cars") because the rewards of finding a soul mate are great ("The sweetest idea of home"). After all, no one ever said that finding true love was easy.

LYRICS

Well, I’m looking for an old soulWhere am I gonna go?I’m looking for an old soulDoes anybody know?I don’t want the worldly wiseI don’t want a good disguiseJust looking for an old soul

And I’m looking for a white lightWhere am I gonna go?And I’m looking for a white lightDoes anybody know?Don’t want the shooting starsDon’t want the passing carsJust looking for a white light

‘Cause when the days grow oldAnd the nights get coldI’ll need a young heartBut an old soul

And I’m looking for the right songWhere am I gonna go?I’m looking for the right songDoes anybody know?Don’t want to hear the bluesDon’t want some wild chanteuseJust looking for the right song

‘Cause when the days grow oldAnd the night gets coldI’ll need a young heartBut an old soul

Where am I gonna go?I’m looking for an old soulDoes anybody know?Its gotta be flesh and boneThe sweetest idea of homeIt’s gotta be an old soulIt’s gotta be an old soulIt’s gotta be an old soul

About Just A Song

After a hiatus, I want to revive Just A Song. My move east has exposed me to all kinds of new (to me) talent who have inspired me to take pen in hand. As always, all entries will include the name of the artist and song, the albums it appears on, miscellaneous notes, the lyrics, and an audio and/or video of the song. Some entries will also feature annotations and/or a brief essay about the song. I'll also include links to official web sites and reviews.